


talking to ghosts and talking to people

by eagle_eyes



Category: Lost
Genre: 70s gang, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aromantic, Aromantic Miles Straume, Friendship, Gen, Post-Canon, i don't even mention sayid in this fic but just assume that he is also alive, juliet and jin and sun are still alive because canon from s5 finale onwards is dead to me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22806676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eagle_eyes/pseuds/eagle_eyes
Summary: Eight years after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, Miles has an important revelation.
Relationships: Juliet Burke & Miles Straume
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Arospec Fanworks Week





	talking to ghosts and talking to people

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 3 of Arospec Fanworks Week. The theme was "awareness"!

_8th April 2012. Miami. Almost 8 years after the crash of Oceanic 815._

It was almost midnight when Juliet got the phone call, and if it hadn’t been for the name that came up on her phone screen, she probably would have thrown the phone against a wall and ignored it. But since it was her good friend Miles calling, she decided to do what any good friend would do: she picked up and immediately began threatening him.

“Miles, if you ever call me in the middle of the night again, I will personally improve your ability at speaking to ghosts.”

“...How?”

“I’m going to kill you, Miles.”

“Huh?”

“So you’ll be a ghost. So you’ll be even better at speaking to ghosts.”

“Nice to hear from you too, Jules!” Miles said cheerfully, “In all seriousness, I’m sorry about the late hour - you know how it is with the time zone difference and all.”

“Couldn’t you have waited until you knew I’d be awake?” Juliet groaned.

“No can do, Jules. By the time you’d be awake I’d be on the plane over to Miami. I finished this big spooky case in L.A. I’ve been working on, so I figured I’d come down and visit you. And well, I didn’t want to just show up unannounced so I called now, when I had the chance.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Juliet grumbled, “You should be glad that James is still off visiting Jin and Sun though. I might affectionately threaten you, but if he were here to get woken up by your phone calls, I think he’d actually make good on the threats.”

Miles laughed at that, a gleeful cackle would sound obnoxious to anyone who wasn’t a close friend. “Oh, I’d like to see him _try!_ I might not be some tough guy like him, but I’m smaller and as such, I’m nimbler. I’m pretty sure I could take him in a fight.”

“Well, depending on how long you stick around in Miami you might be able to test that theory out. How long are you staying anyway?”

“Depends how long you guys are willing to let me hang around in your apartment. I need a break from living out of the van after all, and one of my L.A. friends agreed to look after it for at least a couple of weeks.”

“I still don’t know how you do it, honestly.”

“Eh, it’s really not that bad. I mean, I’ve got a life on the open road, which is more than most people get. It’s not the kind of life most people would probably want, I’ll grant you, but I like it. Driving around the country, just me and the van I’ve made my home in. Forging my own path! Deciding my own fate! It’s cool.”

“Seems kind of lonely as well,” Juliet pointed out in a quiet tone, concern for her friend shining through. 

“Hey, Jules, you’d better not be worrying about me over there,” Miles replied affectionately, “I’m an independent spirit, remember? Don’t need anyone but myself.” He paused for a second, giving Juliet time to formulate her counterargument, and then managed to beat her to it. “Ok, I lied. But I’ve also got friends all over the country - hell, all over the _world_ , let’s not forget our buddies in Korea - and no matter where I am there’s usually someone I can drop in to see. And even when I can’t I can always just pick up the phone and call you! Our lil’ Island support group goes a long way, y’know.”

Juliet hoped Miles couldn’t tell how much that made her smile. She knew the guy would only rib her for it, the way he always did when she started getting a little too maternal towards him or any of their fellow survivors. 

_(Are you sure you’re doing ok, Miles? She’d asked him a couple of days after Daniel had left._

_He’d just rolled his eyes and kept skimming rocks over the water. Yeah, mom, I’m doing fine, he’d answered with a mocking cadence. It hadn’t been the response she’d wanted but at least she trusted that he knew she cared. And god, maybe over time he’d even let himself open up to her.)_

“Oh god, don’t say anything Jules, I can tell you’re about to get all sappy on me.”

“You know me too well,” she laughed, “I swear, Miles, you’re gonna be the death of me someday.”

“Probably a death by exhaustion if I keep calling at these hours, right?” 

“Exactly, now hang up and let me get some damn sleep.”

“Ok, ok, one more thing!” He piped up, sounding slightly panicked. 

She heard Miles breath down the line, apparently trying to steady himself for whatever he had to say. “Ok, so when I said I was calling to let you know I’d be flying in tomorrow, that wasn’t the whole truth. I also...shit, I don’t know, Jules, it’s kinda dumb anyway. I probably shouldn’t even be bothering you with it.”

“That’s ridiculous, Miles. To paraphrase the Roman philosopher Seneca, what’s important to my friends is important to me.”

“Quit being pretentious at one in the morning. Next thing I know you’ll start talking in Latin.”

“I haven’t had to speak Latin in...god, it must be at least five years now,” Juliet laughed, then sobered, “Damn. Five years, huh?”

“Yeah, I know, right? And good for you, by the way. For, y’know, getting out of a cult and stuff.”

“Good for you too.”

Neither of them spoke for a moment, not really knowing what to say.

“We should do something. To celebrate. And to remember,” Miles suggested.

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds nice, Miles,” Juliet smiled, “Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“No, what I wanted to tell you was...it’s kind of to do with what you were saying. About the loneliness. I mean, I joke about being an ‘independent spirit’ and shit, but I...I think there might be more to it than that. You know how I’ve never had much interest in dating or having a serious relationship or anything?”

“You’ve never had _any_ interest in a relationship.”

“Ok, point taken, but my point is I never gave it much thought until now. I mean, weird kid who talks to ghosts, obviously I’m not gonna care much if there’s stuff about me that’s kind of strange, it’s practically to be expected. But, well, I’m not exactly getting any younger, and now I’m 35 and I’m long past the point where me not wanting to be with anyone is just kind of odd and now it’s just straight-up ‘poor tragic Miles is going to end up sad and alone and living in a van forever’ and...well it started _getting_ to me, okay? I’m not proud of that but yeah, when just about every source of information I had on the subject was telling me I should be married by now...did you know I’m one and a half years off the mean age for marriage? In one and a half years I’m officially gonna be _running late_ , y’know?”

“Miles, it’s fine if you’re feeling lonely -”

“But I’m _not_ , Jules. God, how many times have I gotta keep telling people I’m not lonely? That I’m happy with the way my life’s turned out? Look, doesn’t matter, point is I was looking up stuff about it and turns out...I think there’s a word for what I am. There’s this thing called aromanticism, and it means not having romantic feelings towards anyone. So, yeah. I’m aromantic, I guess.” The words all came out in a rush, as if Miles was just trying to get it over with. 

He probably was, Juliet thought, god knows talking about feelings didn’t come naturally to the guy. It was one of many things the two of them had always had in common, except while Juliet’s reticence had been an armour she’d put up to survive three years of hell, Miles’ had always seemed to run a little bit deeper, like something that had been planted in him a long time ago and only grown stronger as he grew older.

“How are you feeling about it?” she asked softly, in full knowledge that it was probably the last thing he wanted to be asked.

“Eh. Still trying to get my head around it to be honest. But I don’t think I feel too different - I mean, I’ve always felt the same way - I just never realised there was a reason for it. It’s nice though, I guess. Knowing that I am something. And the thought that my life is always gonna be lonely is scary, sure, but it’s a little less scary now.”

“That’s great, Miles. If you want, we can always talk about it more when you get here.”

“You’re still trying to trick me into talking about my feelings, Jules? Jesus, I thought you would’ve learned by now.”

“Well it’s worked so far, right?” Juliet could practically hear him rolling his eyes on the other end of the line, “Listen, I’ll see you tomorrow, ok Miles?”

“Can’t wait. Because I’m sick of sleeping in the van, obviously. Not ‘cause I’ve missed you, or anything sappy like that.”

“Of course not,” Juliet said with a grin, “Well, goodnight Miles, have a safe journey.”

“Have a good sleep! ‘Night, Jules!”

Juliet hung up the phone and sighed to herself. It had been a weird night - well, conversations with Miles were usually weird, but Miles choosing to share personal information about himself? That was a higher level of strange. This revelation he’d had must be important to him, she mused, knowing Miles there was no way he would have volunteered the information otherwise.

She hoped that he really was feeling okay, but deep down knew that even if he wasn’t, it didn’t really matter. She’d be there for him no matter what.


End file.
